101 Ways
by dragon agility
Summary: Naruto squeezed him tighter, nuzzling his nose into his dark hair, 'You haven’t failed Sasuke…you've just tried 100 ways that didn’t work.' Sasuke just can't seem to defeat Itachi and suffers for it. Naruto suffers for him too. [SasuNaru oneshot]


My second SasuNaru fanfic! The idea's been in y head for ages but it was more difficult than I thought to get it into words. Anyway, it's in two parts that go together, so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san. If I did own it, well, I'd be one happy bunny!

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**101 Ways**

Naruto knew the moment that he woke up alone that Sasuke was only at one place. And that was a place where Naruto couldn't interfere.

He sighed, pulling the black bed sheets tighter around his naked body. Inhaling Sasuke's scent from the pillow that he snuggled into, he tried to keep his emotions at bay. Naruto remembered his lover's unusual mood the previous night: how he had paced around, his mind elsewhere, not really hearing anything that the blonde shinobi had to say and there had been none of his usual 'Dobe' comments. And then the extra affection; the way Sasuke had held him tightly all evening as if he was glued to him, and especially how intense his eyes were as they made passionate love.

Sasuke always held him close during the night, but it wasn't everyday when he would whisper sweet mumblings in his ear and not sleep.

It wasn't everyday that he'd say goodbye.

Naruto cursed: he should have realised that Sasuke would be going after Itachi.

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Naruto spent the rest of the day occupying his mind with his normal routine. He trained with Kakashi instead of Sasuke, his worrying making his moves aggressive and a good vent of frustration. He ate at Ichiraku, talking to the old man there and later went to meet Sakura as she finished her training shift at the hospital.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that Sasuke had gone.

"When did he leave?" she asked attentively.

"Before dawn. I woke up alone," replied Naruto as the sun began to set, his eyes searching for the first signs of night.

"I understand why he has to kill his brother, but why go alone? There are people who could help him…"

Naruto sighed, "I've tried Sakura-chan. But he'd never forgive me if I went after him again. It's his village, not mine. He'd hate me for it. The last time I followed him, well, you remember what happened…The village has only just started to trust him once again."

Sakura's placed her arm on Naruto's, her words unspoken but clear in her eyes.

"I trust him. He will come back…I love him," he said softly.

Because if he never did come back, or he was found dead, Naruto could only avenge.

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The evening passed quickly and before he knew it, Naruto was sitting on the couch, waiting. He would wait every night until he turned up, until it got to the day where Sasuke had said to wait no more. Then, he would go to find him.

He fell into a half sleep, but was instantly awakened a couple of hours later by the sound of the door opening. The blonde shinobi was up in an instant, running into the hallway.

Bright blue anxious eyes met unfathomable black ones.

There was no smile of victory on Sasuke's face or prize in his hands.

Wordlessly, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the hand and carefully led him upstairs, noting that he was limping and exhausted. At least he could walk.

Leaving him sitting on the bed, settling a searing kiss onto his cold, dry lips, the blonde shinobi went into the bathroom, wetting a towel and bringing it back. Settling onto the bed next to his lover, he began to wipe at the blood that was sprayed on Sasuke's cheek. He wanted to know where all of his injuries were so that he could heal them, when Sasuke grabbed his wrist, stopping his actions.

His other hand raised and fluttered against Naruto's cheek, and he sighed, leaning into the touch, "I'm so glad that you're okay Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked, still touching him, "Hn, Dobe."

Naruto frowned, "Just…just don't do that again. You worry me."

He always repeated the same phrase, knowing that Sasuke would never listen. Naruto accepted this and he accepted the duty that Sasuke had to fulfil, however…

"He was close to Konoha this time," breathed Sasuke, "He was expecting me."

"Sasuke…"

"That new combo I worked on: no effect…"

Naruto sighed and drew him into a tight hug, kissing the skin on his neck softly, feeling Sasuke's ragged breathing against his collarbone, "It's okay Sasuke. There's…there's always next time…"

Because Naruto knew that he would leave again.

Sasuke fisted his fingers into Naruto's t-shirt, "Why a next time? I should've finished him this time! Why? I…I failed…Just how can I fail?"

Naruto squeezed him tighter, nuzzling his nose into his dark hair. He knew how proud Sasuke was. Naruto wanted nothing more than to take his pain of vengeance away. He couldn't. But Naruto didn't believe in failure.

"You haven't failed Sasuke…you've just tried 100 ways that didn't work."

Sasuke raised his head from his lover, joining their eyes intensely.

"One day, you'll kick his butt. I know you will, Sasuke."

Said shinobi sighed and joined his lips to Naruto's, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss. Naruto always understood him. It was one of the things that kept them so close. If Naruto believed that he could do it, he too believed.

The night was filled with sweet kisses and gentle caresses that morphed into an oblivion of pleasure that only they could share together.

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Naruto didn't wake up alone for another few months. His heart pained when Sasuke didn't return after two weeks.

But the moment he heard the door click open, and Sasuke walked in hardly standing, blood dripping from various cuts but with a smile on his face, Naruto knew that the 101st way had worked.

Because he knew. It had worked for him as well.

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She knew where to find him. He always went there when he thought about _him_. 

Sakura walked, and before she knew it, she caught sight of him, his blonde hair still stained with his and _his _blood, staring into the lake of the Uchiha compound.

Looking at him now, he had matured physically a lot since he had gone away to train for two and a half years. And the 2 years since then, he had grown even more. Mentally too. He was the best friend Sakura could ask for.

Naruto suffered, and it was partly her fault. Wordlessly, she sat beside him. She had been selfish back then, forcefully telling him to retrieve Sasuke. She hadn't seen that he was just as important to her and _he _was. He had promised that he would, and she hadn't really thought about his feelings. It had put pressure on him.

But she knew that he wanted Sasuke back, even more so now. It was one of the only things that he lived for. Everything that he did in his training was for the purpose of bringing Sasuke back.

Today had been another one of those days when they had met and fought. Sakura was surprised that Naruto had come back so quickly: usually he remained hidden for days after failing.

She heard him sigh, noticing for the first time that Kyuubi had healed nearly all of his wounds. The fight must have been short for big injuries not to have been sustained.

"Naruto?" she asked softly, "Are you okay?"

He turned to her, his eyes a dark blue in the moonlight and she gasped as she noticed that he was smiling slightly. He never did after a fight with Sasuke.

"I don't believe in failure anymore, Sakura-chan…" he began.

Her green eyes blinked and she stared at him. Where was his mumblings of failure? His need to be hugged and comforted, a rare occurrence for someone who hid behind a mask.

"You don't?"

"No. Because I know that he'll be back one day."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "That's a good thing, Naruto. You…you know that I'm always here for you."

If Naruto believed, then that meant that he was growing in confidence: that he was growing as a person. She smiled and held onto him tightly with her arm. Sasuke, he _would_ come back.

Naruto looked at Sakura and then back at the moon, grateful for her close contact.

He whispered, "He kissed me."

And images flew back to him of how they had fought fast and hard though not at their best and at one moment when their eyes had met, Sharingan red with Kyuubi red, Sasuke had forcefully closed the gap between their bodies, clashing his lips violently to his. Hot mouths moving together in a heated dance, bodies flush against each other as their hands moved to touch as much of each other as they could because they both knew that this moment was fleeting: that soon it would be over.

How they had fit perfectly together, tongue seeking tongue seeking each other's tastes, noises of satisfaction permeating the warm air around them and then breaking apart, Naruto seeing his lustful and shocked eyes in the reflection of Sasuke's, whose own eyes were red with a look that was so wistful, so 'what if?' that it made Naruto's heart break.

And then Sasuke was gone, the warmth instantly missing as if it had belonged there all along. And Naruto ran back to Konoha, as fast as he could.

He was brought back to the reality of the night air and the lake by Sakura's small laughter of happiness, her trembling coursing through his ripped black t-shirt.

He smiled as she raised her head, happy unshed tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Of all the signs of hope that she had prayed for, for all the wishes of happiness that she ever wished for, this was beyond anything she had ever imagined. He took the next words right out of her mouth.

"I'm close, I'm…so close. That's why I don't believe in failure anymore. Because, so far, I've tried ways that _didn't work_, which means that I _will_ find the way that does. I…I think I've found it already."

The smile on his face was wistful, but hopeful, and she had never seen such an expression on his face before. It was that spark in his blue eyes, that look of wonder.

A look of absolute happiness that was only missing one small touch.

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She never saw that look on his face until he stumbled through the gates of Konoha, bleeding, limping but holding Sasuke across his shoulders.

The smile was complete.

It was funny, because she saw the smile on Sasuke's face too.

**Owari**

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What do you think? Please let me know, be it constructive or a flame! (smiles) 


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